Sterile gauze dispenser with cutting means thereon



July 17, 1962 c. E. HORTON ETAL 3,044,338

STERILE GAUZE DISPENSER WITH CUTTING MEANS THERE-ON Filed April 21, 1958 INVENTOR Charles E. Horton Amos Leo Lewis L BY W W ATTORNEYS Unite This invention relates to a novel device for dispensing in portions a strip of material.

More particularly the invention relates to a specially constructed dispenser to facilitate medicating, autoclaving, and subsequently dispensing any desired portion or portions of a strip of medicated gauze and at the same time providing storage for the gauze in sterile condition for an extended period of time.

For the initial part of the dressing of a wound physicians may use pieces of medicated gauze or similar material cut or torn to lengths according to current requirements. It is important that not only the basic portion of the strip be kept sterile but that each dispensed portion be likewise completely sterile. Furthermore, it is desirable to have several convenient, compact and easily usable dispensers to provide a readily available stock of each type and size of gauze that may be required on a moments notice.

It is furthermore desirable that at least one spare package of gauze be available in a container for quick insertion into the dispenser.

An object of this invention is to provide a dispenser with a readily removable container for storage of a strip of material such as a roll of gauze.

-It is a further object of the invention to provide such a container into which a medicating substance may be placed whereby the entire strip may be thoroughly medicated and the container and gauze may be autoclaved and maintained interiorly in a closed, sterile condition for an extended period of time.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a dispenser to which such a container can be readily attached either after or prior to autoclaving.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide such a dispenser with a container and a shearing means whereby successive portions of the medicated strip of the same or varying lengths may be readily extended and sheared off without affecting the sterility of the removed portions or the remaining portion of the strip.

Other objects reside in simplification, improvement and novelty of construction details.

Further objects will in part in the accompanying drawing.

The invention accordingly consists in the combination of the elements, arrangements of parts and features of construction and usage all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein: 1

FIGURE 1 is a view of the assembled device.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section of the device at the near end of a roll of gauze.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the device with cover 7 removed.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

be pointed out and shown A roll or pack of gauze 1 is placed in container 2.

Into container 2 may also be placed enough of a selected medication to thoroughly medicate the gauze 1 during the autoclaving process. The quantity of medication will vary according to the quantity, type and width of gauze. The free end 18 of gauze 1 is threaded through slot 13 in container cover 3 thence between upper spring gauzeguide and lower spring gauze-guide 9 allowing the free States Patent ice end 18 to protrude between the upper and lower shear blades 5 and 6 respectively of either a pair of conventional straight edge shears or a pair of pinking shears according to the desired configuration of the sheared end of the gauze. Both types of shears'are well known in the art.

Shears support 14 is fixedly secured to container cover 3 by convenient means such as welding, screwing or riveting. Lower gauze-guide spring 9 is similarly secured to container cover 3. It is preferably provided with acooperating stop 23 which may in addition provide a rounded edge 24 forslot 13.

Container cover 3 is secured to container 2 in a well known and convenient manner as by an overlapping perimeter forming a tight friction fit or by means of grooves. It may be locked in closed position by knurled screw 22 passing through slots in gauze-guide cover 7 and container cover 3. Gauze-guide cover 7 is thus removably secured to container cover 3 for convenience in threading the gauze 1 between gauze-guides 8 and 9. Gauzeguide spring 8 is fixedly secured to gauze-guide cover 7 in a well known manneras by rivets l5. Hinged shearscover 16 cooperates with gauze-guide cover 7 to provide protection for the dispenser shearing mechanism when not in use. Lower blade 6 of the shears is secured to shears support 14 by means of elongated shears pivot bolt 17.

If a roll instead of a zig-zag pack of gauze is used a U-shaped clip 19 slidably mounted between dimples or bosses 21 and carrying shaft 20 to support the roll of gauze is provided.

The operation of the dispenser is as follows:

A pack of gauze and medication are placed in container 2, and the device is assembled and autoclaved as hereinbefore described. Hinged shears-cover 16 is lifted to the open position shown in FIGURE 2. Then holding the shears in the normal way in the right hand, the handles are spread. Upper shears blade 5 lifts tab 11 of upper spring gauze-guide 8 permitting lower spring gauzeguide 9 under tension to rise. It is to be here noted that upper spring gauze-guide 8 is considerably stifferthan lower spring gauze-guide 9 and normally holds it against stop 23. The rising of lower spring gauze-guide 9 lifts the end 18 of the gauze away from the lower cutting edge of the shears so that the gauze 18 may be grasped by sterile fingers or forceps in thumb notch 12. The desired portion of gauze is then pulled out horizontally .between the separated shears blades and snipped off. After as many successive pieces as desired are removed, hinged shears-cover 16 is swung to closed position and the assembly is returned to storage or shelf. The bottom of container 2 and the lower shears handle form a three point support on the storage shelf.

In order to provide a standby supply of medicated gauze in readiness, extra containers 2 with blank covers having perirneters like container cover 3 may be provided. The extra containers are each provided with gauze Packs and medication and autoclaved at the same time as the assembled device.

Alternately if it is desired that the extra containers 2 be disposable packing containers they may be made of inexpensive material such as molded plastic with the cover inset so that its removal is not necessary for mounting cover 3. This inset cover has a slot which registers with slot 13 when assembled. This slot is covered with a removable seal such as adhesive tape to which the end 18 of the roll of gauze in the container is attached. Removal of the adhesive tape seal exposes the end 18 of the gauze which is then threaded through slot 13 as above described. Thus the disposable container 2 may be-factory packed and sterilized for shipment and storage in this convenient disposable package.

Now from the foregoing it will be seen that there is herein provided a device to store and to conveniently and rapidly dispense medicated or unmedicated sterile gauze and the like for the use of physicians and others skilled in'the art of medicine. 7 Thedevice accomplishes all of the stated objects of this invention and additional features including many advantages of great practical and humanitarian value enabling Wounds to be dressed rapidly even under very unfavorable emergency conditions and surroundings. Therefore as many embodiments may be made of the inventive concept and as many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore set forth and shown in the accompanying drawing it is to be understood that all matters hereinbetore set forth and shown are to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1 A portable dispenser for dispensing selected lengths of sterile material in strip form comprising a container for said material, a first cover detachably mounted on said container, 'said first cover having an opening for the passage of said material from said container, a sec I ond cover detachably mounted on said container and extending over said first cover and said opening, cutting means mounted on one of said covers and having blades and an operator, at least the operative portion of said blades being enclosed by said second cover and said operator being positioned externally of said second cover, means to support a portion of said sterile material between said first and second covers in position to be grasped I and drawn between said blades without contaminating said container and a door movably mounted on one of 'said covers normally closing the space between said first and second covers and being movable to permit the withdrawal of a selected length of said material.

2. The dispenser according to claim -l wherein said blades comprise a fixed blade and a movable blade and whereina portion of said door is disposed in the path of said movable blade to be opened thereby.

3. A portable dispenser for dispensing selected lengths of sterile material in strip form comprising a container for said material, a first cover detachably mounted on said container, said first cover having an openingfor the passage of said material from said container, a second cover detachably mounted on said container and extending overfirst cover, cutting means mounted on one of 1 said covers, said cutting means having blades enclosed by said second cover and an operator positioned externally of said second cover, a door movably mounted on one 1 of said covers normally closing the space between said first and second covers and being movable to permitthe withdrawal of a selected length of said material, and strip Cit ' ture.

. 4 guide structure positioned in the space between said first and second covers between said opening and said blades to support a portion of said strip material to be grasped and drawn over said blades without contamination of said container.

4. The dispenser according to claim 3 wherein said strip guide structure comprises a first guide member movably mounted on said first cover and a'second guide member movably mounted on said second cover whereby when said second cover is removed, said strip may be readily passed over said first guide member to facilitate the initial threading of said strip through said guide struc- 5. A portable dispenser for dispensing selected lengths of sterile material in strip form comprising a container for said material, a first cover detachably mounted on said container, said first cover having an opening for the passage of said material from said container, a second cover detachably mounted on said container and extending over said first cover and said opening, cutting means mounted on one of said covers and having a fixed blade and a movable blade, at least the operative portion of said blades being enclosed by saidsecond cover, a door movably mounted on said second cover, said door being movable to permit the withdrawal of a selected length of said material, guide structure movably mounted in the space between said first and second covers and having an entrance portion adjacent said opening and an exit portion adjacent said blades operative to support a portion of said strip material in position to be withdrawn between said blades without contaminating said container, means for maintaining the exit portion of said guide structure normally in alignment with said fixed blade, and means responsive to the movement of said movable blade to raise said guide structure away from said fixed cutting blade to facilitate the withdrawal of said strip therefrom.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5 wherein said guide structure comprises a first guide member movably carried by said first cover and a second guide member movably carried by said second cover whereby when said second cover is removed said strip may be readily passed over said first guide member to facilitate the initial threading of said strip through said guide structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,876 Dwyer June 9, 1925 1,840,958 Kendall Jan. 12, 1932 1,946,105 Parlett Feb. 6, 1934 2,295,648 Gillanders' Sept. 15, 1942 2,449,508 Reynolds Sept. 14, 1948 

